30-08-2025, 08:17 AM
(This post was last modified: 30-08-2025, 08:19 AM by matiba2025213. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 28: Cinema (Act 17)
Lina shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her cheeks flushing as Rizal’s words hung in the air. She took a slow sip of her tea, trying to buy herself a moment to think. How do I even respond to that? she wondered, feeling a mix of pity and awkwardness.
“Rizal,” she began carefully, her voice soft but firm, “you’re young. You have so much time to figure things out. Sex isn’t everything, you know. There’s more to life than… well, that.”
He frowned, his brows knitting together as he leaned forward slightly. “But everyone else is already doing it,” he said, his voice tinged with frustration. “My friends, they… they talk about it all the time. They tease me for being ‘inexperienced.’ One of them even said I must have a....” He cut himself off, his face turning a deep shade of red.
Lina’s eyes widened slightly. “Said what?” she asked, though she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.
Rizal avoided her gaze, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of the table. “They said I probably have a small… you know.” His voice was barely audible now, laced with shame.
Lina exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. This is way beyond my pay grade, she thought, but she couldn’t bring herself to shut him down completely. “Rizal,” she said gently, “those are just words. People say stupid things when they’re trying to act tough. It doesn’t mean anything.”
He looked up at her, his eyes filled with a mix of desperation and hope. “But how do I know? How do I know if…” He trailed off, clearly struggling to find the right words.
Lina hesitated, her mind racing. This conversation was veering into territory she hadn’t anticipated. She licked her lips nervously before speaking. “Have you ever… explored on your own?” she asked cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper.
Rizal blinked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”
She cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks burn. “You know…self love...errr....masturbation”
His eyes widened, and for a moment, he looked like a deer caught in headlights. Then, slowly, he shook his head. “No,” he admitted quietly. “I don’t even know how.”
Lina nearly choked on her tea, setting the cup down quickly to avoid spilling it. This is not happening, she thought, but something in his earnest expression kept her from shutting the conversation down entirely. She took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “It’s… it’s a natural thing,” she began awkwardly. “It’s a way to relieve stress and… curiosity.”
He stared at her intently, his curiosity piqued. “How does it work?” he asked innocently.
Lina felt a wave of panic wash over her. How do I explain this without making it weird? She glanced around the café, grateful that no one seemed to be paying attention to them. “Well,” she started slowly, her voice low, “it’s about… touching yourself. In a way that feels good.”
Rizal frowned slightly, still looking confused. “But how?”
Lina’s mind raced. She felt completely out of her depth, but she couldn’t bring herself to abandon the conversation now. Spotting a fork on the table, she picked it up, holding it carefully. “Okay,” she said, her voice faltering slightly, “imagine this is, uh… you know.”
His eyes flicked between her face and the fork, and Lina could see the realization dawning on him. He nodded slowly, his cheeks flushing.
She took a deep breath, feeling utterly ridiculous but pressing on nonetheless. “You start slow,” she explained, moving the fork in a careful, deliberate motion. “And then… you can go faster if it feels right. Just… don’t rush it.”
Rizal watched intently, his eyes wide with fascination. “Is that how it works?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lina nodded, setting the fork down quickly and wiping her hands on her napkin as if it had suddenly become contaminated. “Yes,” she said firmly, trying to regain some semblance of control over the conversation. “But it’s important not to overdo it. Maybe… three times a week at most. And use lotion or something to reduce friction.”
Rizal nodded slowly, absorbing the information like a sponge. “I didn’t know it was that simple,” he murmured, more to himself than to her. Then, after a brief pause, his brow furrowed slightly as another question surfaced. “But… how do I, um, get… turned on? Like, what makes it happen?”
Lina’s cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red, and she felt her palms grow clammy. Why did I start this conversation? she thought miserably. She cleared her throat, her voice trembling slightly as she replied. “Well… you can watch, uh, movies. Not porn!” she added hastily, holding up a hand as if to stop him from jumping to conclusions. “Just… regular movies with romantic or… intimate scenes. Something you’ve already seen before. Or you could look at pictures in magazines like models or actresses dressed… nicely.” She winced internally, hoping she wasn’t leading him down a path she couldn’t control.
He tilted his head, his expression thoughtful. “Pictures? Like in fashion magazines?”
“Yes,” Lina said quickly, nodding. “Or maybe… from the internet. But not porn,” she emphasized again, her voice firm despite her embarrassment. “Just… something that, uh, inspires your imagination.” She swallowed hard, feeling like she was walking a tightrope between being helpful and oversharing.
Rizal’s eyes widened slightly. “Imagination?”
She nodded, glancing around nervously to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “Yes. You can imagine… scenarios in your mind. That can help you get… you know, an erection. Once that happens, you can start.”
He blinked, processing her words slowly. “Oh,” he said quietly, his voice tinged with realization. “That makes sense.”
Lina forced a small smile, though her face felt like it was on fire. “Just… don’t get too carried away,” she cautioned, trying to sound calm and collected despite the storm of awkwardness swirling inside her. “It’s supposed to be… natural and not too extreme.”
He nodded again, looking both fascinated and slightly overwhelmed. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I think I understand now.”
Lina let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “Good,” she said, her voice strained. “Just… take it slow, okay? And don’t let anyone pressure you into something you’re not ready for.”
Rizal looked up at her, his expression softening. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “For telling me all this. I… I feel better knowing I’m not completely clueless.”
She gave him a small nod, though her heart was still racing. “You’re welcome,” she said, her voice strained. Inside, she was screaming at herself for even entertaining this conversation.
There was a moment of silence before Rizal spoke again, his voice tentative. “Do you think… maybe you could show me again? Just to make sure I understand?”
Lina froze, her mind going blank. “What?” she managed to choke out.
He looked at her with those innocent eyes, completely unaware of the awkwardness he was creating. “Not with you! Just… maybe with the fork again?”
She let out a nervous laugh, grabbing her teacup to hide her face behind it. “I think you’ve got it figured out,” she said quickly, her voice higher-pitched than usual.
Rizal seemed to sense her discomfort and nodded, sitting back in his seat. “Right,” he said, his tone apologetic. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
Lina took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. “It’s fine,” she lied. “Just… remember what I said, okay? And focus on other things too. college, hobbies, your future.”
He nodded again, though there was a hint of disappointment in his expression. “I will,” he promised.
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken tension. Lina felt like she needed to escape the conversation before it took another unexpected turn. “I should probably get going,” she said abruptly, standing up and grabbing her bag.
Rizal looked up at her, his eyes wide with surprise. “Already?”
She forced a smile, though it felt more like a grimace. “Yeah, I have some errands to run,” she lied smoothly. “But thanks for meeting me.”
He stood up as well, nodding awkwardly. “Thanks for… everything.”
Lina gave him a quick nod before turning and walking away, her heart still pounding in her chest. As she stepped out of the café and into the cool evening air, she let out a long, shaky breath.
What just happened? she thought, pressing a hand to her forehead as if that would help clear her mind. She felt equal parts relief and dread relief that the conversation was over, and dread at the thought of what might come next.
But as she walked down the street, replaying the conversation in her mind, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d opened a door she wasn’t prepared to step through.
Lina shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her cheeks flushing as Rizal’s words hung in the air. She took a slow sip of her tea, trying to buy herself a moment to think. How do I even respond to that? she wondered, feeling a mix of pity and awkwardness.
“Rizal,” she began carefully, her voice soft but firm, “you’re young. You have so much time to figure things out. Sex isn’t everything, you know. There’s more to life than… well, that.”
He frowned, his brows knitting together as he leaned forward slightly. “But everyone else is already doing it,” he said, his voice tinged with frustration. “My friends, they… they talk about it all the time. They tease me for being ‘inexperienced.’ One of them even said I must have a....” He cut himself off, his face turning a deep shade of red.
Lina’s eyes widened slightly. “Said what?” she asked, though she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.
Rizal avoided her gaze, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of the table. “They said I probably have a small… you know.” His voice was barely audible now, laced with shame.
Lina exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. This is way beyond my pay grade, she thought, but she couldn’t bring herself to shut him down completely. “Rizal,” she said gently, “those are just words. People say stupid things when they’re trying to act tough. It doesn’t mean anything.”
He looked up at her, his eyes filled with a mix of desperation and hope. “But how do I know? How do I know if…” He trailed off, clearly struggling to find the right words.
Lina hesitated, her mind racing. This conversation was veering into territory she hadn’t anticipated. She licked her lips nervously before speaking. “Have you ever… explored on your own?” she asked cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper.
Rizal blinked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”
She cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks burn. “You know…self love...errr....masturbation”
His eyes widened, and for a moment, he looked like a deer caught in headlights. Then, slowly, he shook his head. “No,” he admitted quietly. “I don’t even know how.”
Lina nearly choked on her tea, setting the cup down quickly to avoid spilling it. This is not happening, she thought, but something in his earnest expression kept her from shutting the conversation down entirely. She took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “It’s… it’s a natural thing,” she began awkwardly. “It’s a way to relieve stress and… curiosity.”
He stared at her intently, his curiosity piqued. “How does it work?” he asked innocently.
Lina felt a wave of panic wash over her. How do I explain this without making it weird? She glanced around the café, grateful that no one seemed to be paying attention to them. “Well,” she started slowly, her voice low, “it’s about… touching yourself. In a way that feels good.”
Rizal frowned slightly, still looking confused. “But how?”
Lina’s mind raced. She felt completely out of her depth, but she couldn’t bring herself to abandon the conversation now. Spotting a fork on the table, she picked it up, holding it carefully. “Okay,” she said, her voice faltering slightly, “imagine this is, uh… you know.”
His eyes flicked between her face and the fork, and Lina could see the realization dawning on him. He nodded slowly, his cheeks flushing.
She took a deep breath, feeling utterly ridiculous but pressing on nonetheless. “You start slow,” she explained, moving the fork in a careful, deliberate motion. “And then… you can go faster if it feels right. Just… don’t rush it.”
Rizal watched intently, his eyes wide with fascination. “Is that how it works?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lina nodded, setting the fork down quickly and wiping her hands on her napkin as if it had suddenly become contaminated. “Yes,” she said firmly, trying to regain some semblance of control over the conversation. “But it’s important not to overdo it. Maybe… three times a week at most. And use lotion or something to reduce friction.”
Rizal nodded slowly, absorbing the information like a sponge. “I didn’t know it was that simple,” he murmured, more to himself than to her. Then, after a brief pause, his brow furrowed slightly as another question surfaced. “But… how do I, um, get… turned on? Like, what makes it happen?”
Lina’s cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red, and she felt her palms grow clammy. Why did I start this conversation? she thought miserably. She cleared her throat, her voice trembling slightly as she replied. “Well… you can watch, uh, movies. Not porn!” she added hastily, holding up a hand as if to stop him from jumping to conclusions. “Just… regular movies with romantic or… intimate scenes. Something you’ve already seen before. Or you could look at pictures in magazines like models or actresses dressed… nicely.” She winced internally, hoping she wasn’t leading him down a path she couldn’t control.
He tilted his head, his expression thoughtful. “Pictures? Like in fashion magazines?”
“Yes,” Lina said quickly, nodding. “Or maybe… from the internet. But not porn,” she emphasized again, her voice firm despite her embarrassment. “Just… something that, uh, inspires your imagination.” She swallowed hard, feeling like she was walking a tightrope between being helpful and oversharing.
Rizal’s eyes widened slightly. “Imagination?”
She nodded, glancing around nervously to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “Yes. You can imagine… scenarios in your mind. That can help you get… you know, an erection. Once that happens, you can start.”
He blinked, processing her words slowly. “Oh,” he said quietly, his voice tinged with realization. “That makes sense.”
Lina forced a small smile, though her face felt like it was on fire. “Just… don’t get too carried away,” she cautioned, trying to sound calm and collected despite the storm of awkwardness swirling inside her. “It’s supposed to be… natural and not too extreme.”
He nodded again, looking both fascinated and slightly overwhelmed. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I think I understand now.”
Lina let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “Good,” she said, her voice strained. “Just… take it slow, okay? And don’t let anyone pressure you into something you’re not ready for.”
Rizal looked up at her, his expression softening. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “For telling me all this. I… I feel better knowing I’m not completely clueless.”
She gave him a small nod, though her heart was still racing. “You’re welcome,” she said, her voice strained. Inside, she was screaming at herself for even entertaining this conversation.
There was a moment of silence before Rizal spoke again, his voice tentative. “Do you think… maybe you could show me again? Just to make sure I understand?”
Lina froze, her mind going blank. “What?” she managed to choke out.
He looked at her with those innocent eyes, completely unaware of the awkwardness he was creating. “Not with you! Just… maybe with the fork again?”
She let out a nervous laugh, grabbing her teacup to hide her face behind it. “I think you’ve got it figured out,” she said quickly, her voice higher-pitched than usual.
Rizal seemed to sense her discomfort and nodded, sitting back in his seat. “Right,” he said, his tone apologetic. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
Lina took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. “It’s fine,” she lied. “Just… remember what I said, okay? And focus on other things too. college, hobbies, your future.”
He nodded again, though there was a hint of disappointment in his expression. “I will,” he promised.
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken tension. Lina felt like she needed to escape the conversation before it took another unexpected turn. “I should probably get going,” she said abruptly, standing up and grabbing her bag.
Rizal looked up at her, his eyes wide with surprise. “Already?”
She forced a smile, though it felt more like a grimace. “Yeah, I have some errands to run,” she lied smoothly. “But thanks for meeting me.”
He stood up as well, nodding awkwardly. “Thanks for… everything.”
Lina gave him a quick nod before turning and walking away, her heart still pounding in her chest. As she stepped out of the café and into the cool evening air, she let out a long, shaky breath.
What just happened? she thought, pressing a hand to her forehead as if that would help clear her mind. She felt equal parts relief and dread relief that the conversation was over, and dread at the thought of what might come next.
But as she walked down the street, replaying the conversation in her mind, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d opened a door she wasn’t prepared to step through.
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